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Mon, 04 Dec 2017 15:03:27 +0000rgolman2https://chicagosbesttv.com/go/pilsen/chicagos-best-burgers-7-small-burger/There is nothing small about the burger Brittney Payton is getting her hands on in Pilsen.

41.857972-87.671967

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Mon, 04 Dec 2017 15:02:18 +0000rgolman2https://chicagosbesttv.com/go/lincoln-park/chicagos-best-burgers-7-butcher-and-the-burger/The cards are finally in Elliott Bambrough’s hands as he builds his own burger at this Lincoln Park spot.

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Mon, 04 Dec 2017 01:05:43 +0000forfoodssakehttps://forfoodssake.net/go/restaurant-reviews/happy-ending-burger-concord/https://sharonskitchenandcrafts.blog/go/uncategorized/cheeseburger-wraps/
Sun, 03 Dec 2017 14:53:01 +0000sharonskitchenandcraftshttps://sharonskitchenandcrafts.blog/go/uncategorized/cheeseburger-wraps/I remember seeing this idea online a few years ago, sorry I cannot remember where, and I have been making my own stance on it ever since – Cheeseburger Wraps!

This is basically all of the elements of a cheeseburger, in non-burger form, served in a wrap.

I start with softening off a chopped onion, before adding minced beef and browning.

Then, I drain most of the liquid from a tin of tomatoes, before adding in the nice chunks. I guess you could use fresh tomatoes chopped up for this. Allow to bubble together for a bit. Now for the fun! Pour in American-style mustard and ketchup – or any other condiments you like on your burger – and I add a little bit of dried basil too, along with some garlic powder and a good grind of black pepper.

Now, add a couple of chopped gherkins – or dill pickles as some people call them – and finally, it’s time for the cheese. Personally, if it’s a cheeseburger, it has to be plastic cheese in my view, otherwise known as cheese squares.

Allow it the cheese to melt and then serve in wraps – you may need a fork or a spoon, as they can get quite messy.

Of course, you could serve this with pasta or rice for an equally yummy dinner.

I liked the idea of this burger, but the beef patty was overcooked and dry. I did like the macaroni and cheese though, and everything is better with bacon! I only ate half of the burger though, but all of the tater tots, hehe.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai promised to look into the great cheeseburger emoji debate, and he’s made good on his word. Apparently Android 8.1 ships with a new and improved cheeseburger emoji in which the cheese is placed atop the patty, as opposed to underneath it. Emojipedia first spotted the fix.

Google previously pictured the cheese at the bottom of the sandwich, which we can all agree is incorrect. But it wasn’t until someone named Thomas Baekdal called the emoji out in October that the world woke up to this extremely incorrect cheeseburger depiction.

I think we need to have a discussion about how Google’s burger emoji is placing the cheese underneath the burger, while Apple puts it on top pic.twitter.com/PgXmCkY3Yc

Although Google has now realized the proper way to make a cheeseburger, the company did also create its emoji IRL. It served an “Android Burger” to employees earlier this month with the cheese melted onto the bottom bun. I don’t know how it tasted.

There are still some slight variations in emoji cheeseburgers. Samsung, for example, layers the sandwich as tomato, cheese, lettuce, and then the patty, whereas Apple depicts its emoji as having tomato, cheese, patty, and then lettuce. Google seems to be on the right track here with its lettuce on top. This is proper. This is how we make a cheeseburger, and I’m thrilled Google has learned.

As many pointed out a few weeks back, Google’s cheeseburger emoji put the cheese at the bottom of the burger as opposed to how it generally is in real life, and other emojis as well. Now, Google orders it the correct way — bun, lettuce, tomato, cheese, patty, bun.

Along with that, Android 8.1 DP2 fixes the beer emoji which, in 8.0, only fills the mug halfway leaving the foam still on the top. Clearly, that wasn’t correct at all, and the new version fixes it for the single beer emoji and the “beers” emoji.

Lastly, DP2 also fixes the cheese emoji which, in 8.0, had a line to show the edge of the cheese over a hole, breaking the effect. Now, that’s been fixed and the colors have been slightly adjusted as well.

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Mon, 27 Nov 2017 22:34:57 +0000forfoodssakehttps://forfoodssake.net/go/travel/crown-metropol-california-burgers-melbourne/https://42stepsfromthestreet.wordpress.com/go/home/a-lot-to-be-thankful-for/
Thu, 23 Nov 2017 08:00:34 +0000ScarletCitizenhttps://42stepsfromthestreet.wordpress.com/go/home/a-lot-to-be-thankful-for/Somehow, even though I was only assigned to buy things and make wild rice, I ruined the wild rice. It was mushy and looked like squashed bugs. Even though I try so hard to escape my mother’s horrible Thanksgivings, I manage to carry on her traditions.

My Little Muffin

The year has given me too much to be thankful for, a worrying amount of good luck that has to end, doesn’t it. Can things always be this good?

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Sun, 19 Nov 2017 14:41:58 +0000Joe Ricchiohttps://joericchio.net/go/uncategorized/maines-30-greatest-burgers/Originally published in the November 2017 Issue of Down East Magazine

From mom-and-pop diners, hole-in-the-wall pubs, and fancy-pants kitchens all across the state, these are the juicy little beauties most worth road tripping for. Did your favorites make the list?

Food editor Joe Ricchio put on over 1,000 miles and at least 10,000 calories to bring you this compendium, eating through the recommendations of Down East’s staff, listeners to his weekly radio segment, and an insistent chorus of social media gourmands. His findings? Maine’s burger-sphere is as rich and varied as its overall food scene.

Want a burger with locally raised beef on a house-baked brioche bun with LTO plucked from the garden out back? You’ll find bushels full. Craving the same melty-cheese slider your grandparents once ordered at a Route 1 drive-in? Pull up and flip on your headlights. Daydreaming about a perfectly charbroiled patty with a big old lobster claw on top? Oh, finest kind, bub, finest kind.

Here then, in no particular order, are Maine’s 30 best burgers. Think we got it wrong? Know of a burger we missed? Comment below to let us know your beef — or weigh in on our Facebook page.

Photo: J.K. Putnam

The Burger

MCKAYS PUBLIC HOUSE

Bar Harbor. $12.99

The most satisfying burger on Mount Desert Island starts with a blend of all-natural beef cuts, muenster cheese, and a brioche bun that’s sturdy and buttery. McKay’s tasty secret sauce is like a mildly spicy aoili (they call it “boom sauce” in the kitchen), but the way to order this baby is smothered in beer cheese and sautéed mushrooms for an extra $2. The shredded lettuce soaks it all up nicely, and whatever spills out is just a dipping sauce for your golden handcut fries. No wonder locals flock to this place even when its jam-packed in tourist season. 231 Main St. 207-288-2002. mckayspublichouse.com

Photo: Glen Charles

The Lamb Burger

COHILL’S INN

Lubec. $14.95

Good lamb has a kind of barnyard sweetness that you don’t get from beef, and Cohill’s uses marbled ground lamb shoulder with plenty of sweet fat that mingles with the rich, minerally flavor of the meat. The burger comes crowned with a dollop of tangy goat cheese, grilled onion, greens, tomato, and an unexpected cucumber (nice crunch), all stacked on a challah bun. A side of herb-flecked tabbouleh complements the burger perfectly, a healthful alternative to fries. 7 Water St. 207-733-4300. cohillsinn.com

Photo: Michael D. Wilson

Surf & Turf Burger

BUTCHER BURGER

Old Orchard Beach. $16

“In my opinion,” Butcher Burger owner Kevin McAllister says, “from July to October, the 1- to 1¼-pound soft shells, within 5 to 10 miles of the coast, are the sweetest-tasting lobsters on Earth.” Not insight one expects from a burger joint, but since McAllister’s a lobsterman in the off-season, you can trust the Surf & Turf is no mere gimmick. His kitchen crew piles succulent claw and knuckle meat onto their house patty — a custom grind that includes bacon — then slap it in a fluffy-sweet Hawaiian bun with mayo. If there’s a Maine-ier burger out there, we haven’t found it. Closed mid-Sept.–mid-May. 8 West Grand Ave. 207-937-2324. butcherburgerme.com

Photo: Michael D. Wilson

Double Cheeseburger, Loaded

HARMON’S LUNCH

Falmouth. $5.25

How to order hungry at this 57-year-old, cash-only roadside stand: Get two double cheeseburgers (they’re small and cheap) with everything on them (that’s sweet red relish, grilled onions, gooey American cheese, and mustard — don’t even bother asking for lettuce or tomato). Add a small fry that you should douse liberally with malt vinegar. The Harmon’s burger patty is thin and griddled fast-food style, then served on a hot buttered roll that’s cloudlike in texture and somehow even better when the heat causes little pieces of napkin to stick to it. This place hasn’t changed since 1960. There’s no need. 144 Gray Rd. 207-797-9857.

Photo: Joe Ricchio

Double Cheeseburger

TWO RIVERS LUNCH

Allagash. $5.75

Two lean patties, ground up the road in Fort Kent, are layered with American cheese and, as the kitchen explained on our last visit, “anything else we have in the fridge that you might want.” It’s the kind of simple, nicely charred burger that makes you nostalgic in winter for barbecue season. For $3.75 more, add a side of what the locals call “mixed fry” (it’s poutine everywhere else). Fries made with Aroostook potatoes are covered with a blend of shredded cheeses and then doused with velvety gravy. If you’re feeling it, go ahead and stack a handful on the burger.
75 Dickey Rd. 207-398-3393.

Photo: Joe Ricchio

The Big Boy Burger Basket

BURGER BOY

Caribou. $6.95

No Aroostook road trip is complete without a stop at Burger Boy, a retro diner that dates to 1968, although it’s self-consciously ’50s inside. The thick, 5-ounce patty is piled high with cheese, pickles, lettuce, and tomato, all on a classic sesame seed bun (a surprisingly rare sighting on this list). Expect toppings and condiments (generous glops of ketchup, mustard, mayo, and relish) to overflow the one-hand burger. This is where the mountain of fries comes in. The paper basket also includes coleslaw, just like in that old cliche, “as American as a burger and fries and coleslaw.” 234 Sweden St. 207-498-2329.

Photo: Joe Ricchio

Kim Burger

AL’S DINER

Mars Hill. $6.50

Who’d have guessed that unassuming Al’s — a vinyl booths and paper placemats kind of place on Mars Hill’s quiet Main Street — serves up the Platonic ideal of a patty melt? It starts with the thick bread, baked in-house, toasted, and well buttered. The burger patty is engulfed in stretchy, stringy mozzarella cheese and served over sautéed sweet peppers and mushrooms. Al’s “Petal Sauce” is a little like Big Mac special sauce, but with more of a bite, and there’s just a little crunch from the iceberg lettuce and tangy pickles. It’s served with ridged potato chips, and you’re going to want one of Al’s house-baked cookies.
87 Main St. 207-429-8186.

Photo: Chris Siefken

Primo Patty Melt

PRIMO

Rockland. $20

Some 200 miles and a culinary universe away from the patty melt at Al’s Diner, Primo grinds its own blend of grass-fed beef from Maine’s Cold Spring Ranch, then stacks up two 4-ounce patties topped with aged gruyère, caramelized onions, and a special sauce that blends house-made mayo and hot sauce. The soft bun is studded with nigella, sesame, and poppy seeds. Served with fries and mixed greens, this is the patty melt elevated — and about what we expect from a kitchen run by James Beard Award–winning chef Melissa Kelly. 2 Main St. 207-596-0770. primorestaurant.com

Photo: Stephen Beckwith

Bacon Buffalo Burger, Loaded

MELBY’S MARKET AND EATERY

Waterford. $8.99

Surprisingly hard to find in Maine, bison meat has a gamey flavor and makes for a nice, dense burger. A leaner alternative to beef, it’s a little healthier, so naturally you’ll want to drape it in bacon. Little Melby’s — one part diner, one part convenience store — has made bison the cornerstone of its menu for decades. Find the lunch counter lined with snowmobilers fueling up on these in winter. 927 Valley Rd. 207-583-4447.

Photo: Mark McCall

Classic Burger

NOCTURNEM DRAFT HAUS

Bangor. $14

The magic here is in the cheese, a blend of six different varieties, made with herbs, garlic, and chives. And since it’s finished with whatever IPA on the rotating tap handles the staff deems their fave, each batch of the creamy beer cheese is a bit different from the last. Nocturnem makes its own thick-slab bacon, should you choose to add it, and the buttered brioche bun holds it all together. Barely.
56 Main St. 207-907-4380. nocturnemdrafthaus.com

Photo: Stephen Beckwith

The Ruger Burger

EBENEZER’S RESTAURANT & PUB

Lovell. $14.99

A mushroom, onion, and cheddar burger that could go up against any in the country. Mushrooms and onions are cooked in sweet-cream salted butter and Worcestershire until they’re essentially a thick sauce, which is then ladled onto an Angus sirloin patty and topped off with melted cheddar. Ebenezer’s is, of course, a beer bar of national repute, so pair this savory monster with a bottle of funky, sour Cantillon Gueuze. 44 Allen Rd. 207-925-3200. ebenezerspub.net

Photo: Chris Siefken

The Seven Napkin Burger

OWLS HEAD GENERAL STORE

Owls Head. $8.75

As the name implies, this may not be the ideal snack to enjoy on the go. The staff in the tiny kitchen starts with a whopping half-pound of freshly ground beef, coddling it into a still-loose patty and searing it to give it a nice crust. The juggernaut of a burger is then transferred to a buttered, griddled bun and overstuffed with onions, cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, mustard, mayo, and ketchup. Food Network Magazine called it the state’s best burger some years back. It’s certainly among the messiest. 2 South Shore Dr. 207-596-6038.

Photo: Cara Dolan

The North of the Border Burger

A1 DINER

Gardiner. $7.99

Canadian bacon and cheddar cheese on A1’s warm, soft pretzel bun would be a delightful sandwich by itself, but the inventive folks behind Gardiner’s much-loved restored 1946 dining car build this one around a nicely seasoned patty made with locally sourced beef. It comes with hand-cut fries that are perfectly crispy (but alas, south of the border in so far as they lack gravy and curds). Guy Fieri is one noted A1 enthusiast, and who are we to argue with the mayor of Flavortown? 3 Bridge St. 207-582-4804.

Photo: Jamie Walter

The Gucci

THE BAG & KETTLE

Carrabassett Valley. $12.50

Apres-ski consumption of a “Bag burger” is practically a religious rite around Sugarloaf, and the Gucci is one of the pub’s “gourmet designer” variations (we’re also fond of the Dior and the Armani). A hefty flame-broiled beef patty is topped with mozzarella and layered with pepperoni strips on both sides, an unholy union that comes on sourdough next to a bed of the Bag’s famous curly fries.
19 Village West. 207-237-2451. thebagandkettle.com

Photo: Michael D. Wilson

House-Smoked Burger

EAST ENDER

Portland. $14

When co-owners Karl Deuben and Bill Leavy first gifted the world this beautiful little burger, it was from the confines of their now legendary Small Axe food truck, and they called it the “Smokestack Lightning.” It’s a pretty accurate descriptor if you pay the extra $2 for the crunchy, slightly spicy shishito peppers, which nicely complement the cold-smoked Caldwell Family Farm beef. Mayo, ketchup, and Monterey Jack all come standard, on a bun from South Portland’s Southside Bakery that’s like brioche, but softer. The thrice-cooked fries in their own little pail are a nice touch. 47 Middle St. 207-879-7669. eastenderportland.com

Photo: Michael D. Wilson

The Burger

CHAVAL

Portland. $12

Upscale versions of the Big Mac are a dime a dozen, but the smoky, grilled Caldwell Family Farm beef on Chaval’s burger calls to mind nothing so much as the flame-broiled Burger King Whopper. The resemblance is furthered by a dollop of “tomato-mustard,” umami-rich roasted tomatoes blended with two kinds of Dijon. Cucumbers from Buxton’s Snell Family Farm become “Lex’s pickles” (named for a line cook and brine whiz), and the whole thing sits between brioche buns liberally spiked with black pepper. Add $4 worth of hand-cut fries. (Or not. Have it your way.) 58 Pine St. 207-772-1110. chavalmaine.com

Locations in Portland, South Portland, Auburn, Lewiston, and Biddeford. $8.49

If you’ve visited this ubiquitious New England sandwich shop chain only for its subs, you may be surprised to learn you can ask for the innards of the tasty Steak Number 9 sandwich atop a double cheeseburger. That’s onions, peppers, mushrooms, and American cheese smothering two beef patties and a pile of grilled sirloin. Gourmet it is not, but what other burger on this list can you get delivered? Five locations in Portland, South Portland, Lewiston, Auburn, and Biddeford. dangelos.com

Photo: Michael D. Wilson

The Terlingua Burger

TERLINGUA

Portland. $14

Only available on the Sunday brunch menu (hence the fried egg, a $2 addition), the Terlingua burger starts with a well-marbled, roasted-garlic–spiked beef patty, sourced from Bethel’s Middle Intervale Farm. Bacon jalapeño jam adds just the right salty-spicy punch, and for another $1.50, you can choose your cheese: cheddar, American, or bleu. Brunch at Terlingua is the one time it’s appropriate to order a hamburger at a terrific barbecue joint. 52 Washington Ave. 207-808-8502. terlingua.me

Photo: Michael D. Wilson

The Big Foie Burger

CENTRAL PROVISIONS

Portland. $14

It’s been called the burger that will restore your faith in brunch. Chef Chris Gould’s creation would be delicious even if it were no more than a house-made onion roll sheltering a burger patty, heirloom tomatoes, bread-and-butter pickles, lettuce, onion, American cheese, and Big Mac–ish special sauce. But what nudges it into genius territory is the silky foie gras mousse whipped with cream cheese (which, according to Gould, keeps the foie from melting out). So decadent. So good. 414 Fore St. 207-805-1085. central-provisions.com

Photo: Cara Dolan

Whoperburger

FAT BOY DRIVE-IN

Brunswick. $4.25

For many on the lower midcoast, it’s not summer until they’ve pulled up to the neon beacon of Fat Boy, flipped on their headlights to attract a carhop, and requested a Whoperburger, a squat little dynamo of a paper-wrapped burger. Cooked to order, it’s a 4-ounce patty with lettuce, tomato, and secret “Whoper” sauce (like a sweeter mayo) on a steamed sesame seed bun. Wash it down with one of Fat Boy’s famous extra-thick frappes, made with blended ice milk. Closed mid-Sept.–March. 111 Bath Rd. 207-729-9431. fatboydrivein.com

Photo: Michael D. Wilson

The Slab Burger

NOSH

Portland. $13

The burger menu at Nosh is not big on sublety. Pass up the one with pork belly (for amateurs) and the other with fried mac and cheese buns (a gimmick) and instead have at this behemoth. Provolone, red pepper marinara, and pesto top a standard Nosh patty, a blend of beef, pork, and herbs. Then the pièce(s) de résistance: two fat wedges of Sicilian-style pizza from Nosh’s sister restaurant, the aptly named Slab. Remove that toothpick at your own risk. 551 Congress St. 207-553-2227. noshkitchenbar.com

Photo: Michael D. Wilson

The Corner Burger

OWL & ELM

Yarmouth. $14

The meat is the star at Yarmouth’s quintessential village pub, a blend of ground chuck, brisket, and short rib from Maine Family Farms. Owl & Elm laces the meat with its own steak sauce and tops the burger with smoked cheddar from New Gloucester’s Pineland Farms and a slaw of lettuce, tomato, red onion, and pickles. Both sides of the buttered brioche roll are slathered with garlic aioli. Comes with a funny little basket of superb house fries that you half expect to still be glistening from the deep fryer.
365 Main St. 207-847-0580. owlandelm.com

Photo: Michael D. Wilson

HS Double Double

HOT SUPPA

Portland. $10

Paying homage to the West Coast’s iconic In-N-Out Burger, Hot Suppa’s version keeps it real with slices of American cheese, but elevates with Maine-raised beef from
Maine Family Farms — a blend of brisket, chuck, and rib fat — along with a crusty kaiser bun. As with the best In-N-Out
varieties, the Double Double gets some sweet-and-sour contrast from caramelized onions and dill pickles, and as at In-N-Out, there’s a “secret menu,” of sorts — ask for the fried green tomatoes with remoulade sauce for an extra $6. 703 Congress St. 207-871-5005. hotsuppa.com

Photo: Michael D. Wilson

The Big One, Loaded

RAPID RAY’S

Saco. $5.30

The folks at Rapid Rays have been grinding their own beef every day since the iconic fast-food joint opened as a food truck in 1953. The Big One is the restaurant’s classic offering, laden with melted American on a toasted bun. Ask for it loaded and you’ll get mustard, relish, chopped onions, and tomato. Wash it down with a half-pint of chocolate milk, which Ray’s is equally famous for. 189 Main St. 207-282-1847. rapidrays.net

Photo: Cara Dolan

Double Cheeseburger

ROY’S ALL STEAK HAMBURGERS

Auburn. $5.19

Officially, it’s Roy’s All Steak Hamburgers & Golf Center, one of the stranger places in Maine to find a mom-and-pop burger worth traveling for. Roy’s grinds chuck steak daily to make its thin patties, which it sets inside spongy-soft buns, layers with melted white American, and tops with condiments of your choice. The double burger is still practically a slider — even with a basket of hand-cut crinkle fries, you may want more than one. You can always work off the calories on the driving range or in the batting cages. 2514 Turner Rd. 207-782-2801. roysgolf.com

Photo: Michael D. Wilson

Cheeseburger Dinner

BOB’S CLAM HUT

Kittery. $11.45

A burger from a fried-seafood stand? Look, bub, owner Michael Landgarten recalls the heyday of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in the ’80s and ’90s, when “we would get these large takeout orders consisting of almost all cheeseburger dinners, with maybe one lone clam dinner in the mix.” These days, the quarter-pound cheeseburgers, made with beef ground at Kittery’s MEat butcher shop and served on oh-so-soft Martin’s potato rolls, continue to bring out visitors’ inner longshoremen. A basket includes fries, slaw, and not one but two burgers. 315 Rte. 1. 207-439-4233. bobsclamhut.com

Photo: Michael D. Wilson

The Palais Royale

PALACE DINER

Biddeford. $14

A towering, diner-style burger at Maine’s best counter-and-stool joint. In the middle of the Palais Royale, a third sesame seed bun separates two beef patties, each one thin like a fast-food burger and each topped with its own layer of melted cheddar. Ribbons of shredded iceberg lettuce and a stack of pickles add some refreshing crunch. No special sauce here, just mayo and mustard (save the ketchup for the mountain of thick-cut fries that accompany the burger). 18 Franklin St. 207-284-0015. palacedinerme.com

Photo: Michael D. Wilson

Smokehouse Burger

THIRD ALARM DINER

Sanford. $10.99

A juicy 6-ounce sirloin patty topped with slab bacon, crispy onion rings, BBQ sauce, and American cheese, the towering Smokehouse Burger has (and needs) a steak knife driven through it to hold it together. Comes with fries, chips, (more) onion rings, or fried pickles, but the real tough choice is which of the diner’s boozy milkshakes to wash things down with. 47 Washington St. 207-490-0557.

Photo: Michael D. Wilson

Black Angus Burger

STONEWALL KITCHEN CAFE

York. $12

The cafeteria attached to Stonewall’s retail flagship may seem like an unlikely destination for a great burger, until you remember that Stonewall Kitchen’s whole schtick is adventurous and high-quality condiments. To a grilled half-pound Angus patty, Stonewall adds its knockout roasted-garlic-and-onion jam, along with some Bibb lettuce and tomato. You can dress it up further, but anything more than a couple slices of Swiss, for an extra $2, is gilding the lily. 2 Stonewall Ln. 207-351-2719. stonewallkitchen.com

Now, I don’t hate cheese. Really, I don’t. I’m quite content to have a splattering of cheese on my taco, or a slice of American on a sandwich (on occasion). I’ll eat a slice or two right out of the ‘individual wrapper’. I’ve even been known to chow down several slices of pizza, as long as it’s ham and pineapple.

I’ve tried to figure it out, and I can only come up with two explanations.

One, the burger makers love cheeseburgers, and can’t conceive of anyone NOT having cheese on their burgers, so it never occurs to them that the lack of “cheese”, or “minus cheese”, on the order ticket might mean that the customer DOESN’T WANT ANY GAWD DAMNED CHEESE on their burger.

Two, I have offended some god somewhere, somehow, and (he-she-it) throws cheese onto my burger when nobody is looking. If so, I beg for forgiveness.

Today, I stopped at a place that had been calling my name for a while. It’s a place that I used to eat at every day, on lunch break. That was back in my high school days, when we fled the campus at noon. I haven’t been to this place very often in the years since, and the only reason I’m not calling them out by name here is that they are not the only ones to have recently tried to slip me some ‘processed cheese food’ (it might at some point in it’s past been near something that was cheese, but that was a long time, and a lot of processing, ago).

I went inside and ordered, instead of using the drive thru. Score one for JimmieJoe. Once I got my order, in it’s neat little paper/cardboard box (styrofoam no more, like back in my high school days), I sat down and opened the box.

And immediately closed it again.

Mayor McCheese is no doubt hiding around a corner somewhere, snickering.

I got up, walked back to the counter, and expressed myself very politely. The lady who took my order picked up the receipt and studied it like it was a winning super lotto ticket, trying to figure out why I was claiming I ordered a burger with no cheese.

Fortunately, the manager stepped in and simply told her to fix my order.

It was quickly replaced with a cheese-free version, and I sat down and took a jaunt down memory lane.

It always tastes better in my memory than it does today. I’m not sure if it’s because the burger has changed (I don’t think it has), or if my tastebuds have simply evolved a more discerning set of receptors.

I’m good for at least six months, now. I’ve been stopping by this particular place about twice a year for a while now, just because something grabs my steering wheel and won’t let go until it reaches this un-named (but I bet you figured it out, right?) fast food giant.

It’s not just them. I’ve had the same experience at five or six places, so it’s not like it’s endemic to this particular clown.

For some reason, they ALL try to put cheese on my burger.

NO. THANK. YOU.

I’ve been supportive of the $15 minimum wage proposal since it first came around. If this keeps up, however, I may have to reconsider, at least for fast food. I really don’t want to go there, though. I’ve worked fast food, I know how hard it can be. But, still…

I can make soup!! This was my first attempt at homemade soup and I am proud of myself. Yes, yes. You read that correctly. Usually I open a can. Don’t judge me! Campbell’s soups are “Mmm-mmm-good.” (Haha! Remember that jingle?)

Anyway, I gotta tell ya, folks, this soup was pretty darn scrumptious. So much better than canned soups!!

I found the recipe for this Cheeseburger Soup on Pinterest. (You can check it out here.) I didn’t add every ingredient (like the celery – my family is not a fan) and half way through, I realized I needed to double the recipe in order to end up with enough soup for everyone but I actually pulled it off! In fact, I think I now understand exactly how God felt during creation. I chopped, diced, browned, boiled, sauteed, mixed and stirred for almost two hours (Yes, yes. It takes me forever to cook anything!). Then when it was finally ready, I looked at – and tasted! – my culinary creation and said, “THIS. IS. GOOD.”

And four out of five family members agree! That’s worth a great big SMILE as far as I’m concerned. (My younger kid doesn’t like anything so I’m claiming this one as a win! ;) )

Hot and yummy homemade soup on a chilly Fall evening – we’re all going to bed with full bellies and warm SMILES.

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Mon, 13 Nov 2017 23:07:41 +0000Review Tubehttps://reviewtubeonline.wordpress.com/go/review-tube-news/the-cheeseburger-emoji-crisis/Google’s cheeseburger emoji has revealed that the internet does not know what our favourite fast food meal should look like. Nick Kenny picks through the #fakenews in search of a good, honest burger.

While there is no right or wrong way to make a cheeseburger, the recent controversy surrounding Google’s cheeseburger emoji has warranted a closer examination of how they, and their competitors, believe a cheeseburger should look.

Of course if there was a right way to make a cheeseburger it would go bun, lettuce, tomato, cheese, patty, bun. Righter still would be to just ditch the tomatoes, because who really wants them anyway?

INCORRECT OR JUST PLAIN WRONG:

Google’s cheeseburger emoji was the one that kicked this whole debate off, and it’s not hard to see why. There’s a graphic designer somewhere who apparently has never eaten a burger before. You’re putting a layer of cheese directly between a hot patty and some bread. It can only ever end in some kind of soggy monstrosity.

And then we have Apple’s entry. While certainly closer to the mark than Google’s attempt, it’s still off. Lettuce on the bottom, collecting the burger juices into little pools of grease? Yum.

There’s a lot more going on with WhatsApp’s cheeseburger, but it’s still so, so wrong. Putting your sauce directly onto your cheese, with the lettuce and tomato beneath the patty? I mean, at least the bread’s on both ends. That’s about all they got right.

Despite apparently coming in a wholegrain bun – offending my class sensibilities – Twitter’s cheeseburger is a lot better than what we’ve seen so far. Tomato should be beneath lettuce, but it’s a good attempt.

Someone really should call up emojidex and let them know a burger patty shouldn’t be hidden beneath a pile of lettuce. They’re also the only one not to provide a slice of cheese on their burger – I guess that might hide some of the lettuce. With more green than the Queen’s offshore bank account, this burger really is not up to scratch.

HTC offering comes with an obvious issue – placing lettuce and pickles between two patties. You can get away with putting cheese or a bun between two patties, but that’s about it.

With more cheese than the Queen’s offshore – oh, wait, I’ve made that joke already, haven’t I? EmojiOne get nearer, but put their cheese on top of their tomatoes. Cheese on patty, guys – it’s burger-making 101.

Samsung’s emoji falls down in similar fashion, with their cheese on top of their lettuce. More concerning is the giant wedge of tomato on top of the burger, looking bigger than the patty itself. It’s practically a veggie burger.

CORRECT:

All of the above burgers meet our requirements, and we hereby deem them “acceptable”. Unfortunately, only four of the twelve companies we’ve looked at have apparently seen a cheeseburger in person. The others, perhaps, have only heard of them through stories and recreated them through the power of imagination with mixed degrees of success.

And sure, McDonald’s put their cheese on the bottom. It’s still wrong, kids.

It has been years and years and years since I last ate a double cheeseburger.

When my son David and a neighbor wanted to celebrate my birthday, I talked them into eating at Golden Corral. My expressed purpose was to have a double cheeseburger and some pancakes.

The pancakes were thick and unappetizing, but their wasn’t a hamburger patty to be seen! Major disappointment.

A few days later, my car needed a minor repair, and as I drove home, I stopped where I new my dream would be fulfilled – Wendy’s!

Oh, the joy! The pure bliss! An actual, real, honest-to-goodness double cheeseburger with all the fixings! Talk about Nirvana!

Remember, I have not had a double cheeseburger for years.

I was very sick afterward.

But it was worth it!

-30-

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Sat, 11 Nov 2017 19:05:41 +0000Taste Bud Adventureshttps://tastebudadventures.wordpress.com/go/food-reviews/burgers/burgers-northwest-burgers-and-chow/Who doesn’t like a juicy burger? Whether it’s beef, pork, fish, or vegetarian, there are delicious versions of burgers out there to satisfy every preference. For this new Taste Bud Adventure we are going to be searching for the best burger in the Eugene/Springfield area. However, we have to build in our standards and caveats. There are SO many places you can get burgers that we can’t possibly go to all of them. We asked our foodie friends, we asked for opinions on the Eugene Foodies Facebook page, and are building a list of 10 restaurants we intend to try and see who we think makes the best burger around. Our biggest caveat is that the burger patty must be made in-house – no frozen, preformed patties in this contest.

So what makes a delicious burger, in our opinion? Here is what we will be looking for.

An amazing beef burger with fresh, juicy, seasoned meat. The bun to meat ratio: is there too much bread? How thick is the patty? Flavor and freshness of the toppings. The quality of the bun and how it works together in the flavor/texture profile. Overall size of the burger. And lastly, the cohesiveness of everything.

There are a lot of different takes and opinions on burgers. So we’ll talk about the highlights of each place we go to, and rather that rate each burger with a number – as we have in the past – we will instead list the restaurants in order of our preference.

As a reminder to our wonderful readers, the point of this blog is for my husband (Mike) and I (Amy), to discover new restaurants together, have an excuse to talk about food, and support local restaurants who are pouring their hearts into their offerings. I know that when Mike owned and operated his own restaurant, having someone blog in a positive way about their experience (whether or not we were ranked as the best) is always such a wonderful thing – and we want to be encouragers to those in the industry.

So today we get to tell you about the burgers at NorthWest Burgers and Chow!

Located in the food court at the 5th Street Public Market, NorthWest Burgers boasts high-quality and locally sourced ingredients.

I went for their classic, NorthWest Burger which is topped with thousand island dressing. lettuce, and thinly cut tomato and onion. The bun is golden, soft and fluffy, and grilled to perfection.

Let’s talk about the beef. You can’t beat the quality of the beef: locally sourced and grass-fed. The patty is somewhere in the 1/2″-3/4″ range. We weren’t asked how we wanted our beef cooked, so we received medium-well burgers with a tiny bit of pink in the center. The beef itself was undersalted, which was really unfortunate because with the quality boasts we expected a really beefy tasting burger, but the meat itself was fairly bland.

The toppings were fresh and pretty tasty. There’s only so much you can do with tomatoes this time of year, so we weren’t surprised that the tomato was not very flavorful. But the lettuce and onion were crisp and good. The shining star of the flavors was the thousand island dressing. It was the most prominent flavor and without it the burger would have not have been nearly as good.

Overall, the burger is stacked high, not huge, but fair sized. The bun to beef ratio was really good, and the bread itself was great quality. This is a good classic burger for someone who is more about the toppings than the beef.

Mike got the Blue and Bacon, which is topped with Rogue blue cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and onion. As you can see in the picture, it had a good amount of blue cheese on it. What you can’t see is the bacon because they forgot to add it and we didn’t realize it until after bites had been taken. But they quickly provided it to us.

The beef patty was no different from the NorthWest burger, but the salt from the Blue Cheese did help the overall flavor. Same thickness of patty and freshness of vegetables. As you might expect, the bacon and blue cheese are the star flavors and the overall mouthfeel of the burger was really nice.

Like the classic NorthWest burger, the flavor is all about the toppings with a fairly bland beef patty. It is a solid burger with a great beef to bun ratio, fresh ingredients, and a really good bun. If that’s what you like in a burger, go try one of the many offerings at NorthWest Burgers!

This was my first time and Mike’s second time at Chow. I was expecting it to be busy on a Friday night, but when we pulled in there was not a parking spot to be found. It was very busy, but we were seated right away and I have to make a comment to the fantastic service we received from every employee we encountered over dinner.

Chow has quite the large burger menu. I couldn’t find the current menu online, so here’s a picture of just the burgers. The prices do include fries or tots with your burger. Quick note for vegans and gluten-free eaters: there is a veggie patty option and an iceberg lettuce bun option.

The atmosphere is fairly loud with an open kitchen format, the sound of a full house conversing, and the faintest sound of music coming from above us (they didn’t have their usual Friday night live music). It’s a bit of a mesh of homey restaurant meets fine dining. As an example, you get a linen napkin but there is a container of disposable napkins on the table as well. Overall it is warm and inviting.

Their meat is sourced daily from Bright Oaks Meat Market just down the street. High-quality and very fresh. Almost everything is made from scratch and much is sourced locally. All the bread (except the slider buns and focaccia) is purchased from a local bakery.

I ordered the Bacon Cheeseburger on Crack (with avocado instead of cheese because of my dairy-allergy) and Mike ordered three sliders, one of which was the Bacon Cheeseburger on Crack – with all the cheesy goodness so we could talk about it in its intended form.

The lighting was pretty dim, so the photos aren’t quite as clear as I would like them to be.

Toppings include BBQ sauce, bacon, and three kinds of cheese (but pictured here with avocado instead). The bacon is a 2-day, 7-stage process that makes a soft, smokey, black pepper, brown sugar bacon.

The bun is ciabatta-style: soft and airy. It was very good, but possibly a bit much against the patty. It is likely that they would usually grill the bun, but I’m guessing with my dairy-allergy that was a necessary skip. Mike’s buns were all grilled.

Let’s talk about the beef! A 1/4″ thick patty, cooked to about medium, it was juicy and full of flavor. Flavor is a little difficult to talk about for each individual component because something that Chow does really well is make a cohesive flavor experience. All the flavors are very intermixed so that each burger is it’s own unique creation. That being said, the crumbles of beef that I tasted by themselves without the BBQ sauce on them were well seasoned.

If you aren’t a BBQ sauce person, you’ll want to skip this burger because it is an integral part of this experience. The tang of the sauce plays well against the fattiness of the cheese/avocado, and the sweetness and black pepper from the bacon. There is no lack of flavor here! After trying both mine and his burger, Mike’s opinion is that the cheese does make a huge difference and that while the avocado is good, if you CAN eat it with the cheese…eat it with the cheese.

Overall, this was really, really good burger. You won’t leave hungry.

From left to right, the three pictured sliders are the Cheese Cheese, Bacon Cheeseburger on Crack (talked about above) and the Black n Blue. One comment on size, these are pretty good sized sliders – it’s more like ordering 3 small-ish burgers.

Cheese Cheese

Cheese lovers, take notice! A grilled white bun, 1/4″ thick beef patty, topped with a parmesan cheese tuile, melty swiss and pepper jack cheese, and a pimento cheese sauce. The variety of cheese textures make this cheeseburger a fantastic flavor and texture experience. It has crunch, stretch, and saucy goodness that settle in with the juicy beef for a glorious mouthfeel. The slider buns are just cheap white buns, but Mike really enjoyed it on this burger in particular. What else is there to say? You should eat this.

Black n Blue

Chow’s juicy beef patty is topped with a parmesan and blue cheese pesto, fresh arugula, steak sauce, and a Cajun spice. Another flavor explosion, the Cajun spice is front-and-center. The blue cheese takes a bit of a back seat with a less prominent place in the overall flavor profile, but still noticeable. This is not your classic black and blue burger, but the original take is really nice with well balanced flavors and a juicy mouthfeel.

So there you have it! Two very different places to cater to very different preferences. If you’re looking for a classic burger where the toppings shine, give NorthWest Burgers a try. If you’re looking for a new burger experience with where the flavors coalesce, give Chow a try!

Last week we were in the beautiful city of Stockholm where we sampled many delicious cinnamon buns and meatballs.

Sweden is also home to Max Burgers, which is the largest burger chain in Northern Sweden. Given that we are (self-proclaimed) burger connoisseurs we obviously had to give it a try. We didn’t turn this into a battle of the burgers but nevertheless we thought we can share our experience.

So, let’s get into it. Let the review begin – ding ding ding 🔔🔔🔔:

Max Burgers

Max Burger was founded in 1968 in Gällivare (in North Sweden) by Curt Bergfors and is now run by his son Richard. It is targeting the same market as McDonald’s and Burger King, so not the type of burger we usually review. In several parts of Sweden Max Burger even managed to push McD out of the market.

Max Burger currently operate 106 restaurants in Sweden and surprisingly 7 in the United Arab Emirates.

We ordered the Maxburgare which is filled with cheddar cheese, tomato, lettuce, red onion, ketchup and mayo.

The Patty

The patty is really underwhelming, especially when compared to all the other amazing burgers we’ve reviewed on this blog so far. It is unbelievably thin (~7 nanometers) and you can tell that it’s made from a frozen patty without going through the ageing process. (Simple rule: the longer the ageing process, the stronger the flavour. )

It feels like the patty is just a block of meat in the middle of the burger to make it more gritty providing no taste purpose. This very much resembles a McDonalds burger with a bit more added thought to it.

The Sauce

The first taste note that fills your mouth is the semi-melted, American-style cheese. The burger also comes with a lot of Max sauce which is a mix of tangy ketchup and creamy mayo. This is the sauciest burger we’ve had on this blog so far. There also is a hint of mustard to complete the holy trinity of burger sauces.

The red onion went really well with the burger. Though, Yvonne accidentally pulled out all the onion with her first bite. Max could’ve possibly improved eatability by chopping them up a little more. We appreciate having the onion in a raw form rather than the usual onion relish because this way the burger is not overwhelmed with the sweetness.

The Bun

The sesame bun is very squishy and fluffy. It’s got a bit of a chew adding to a creamy bite. Like biting into a creamy cloud. All in all a pretty solid bun.

Overall Tastiness

Yvonne: I understand why this burger chain is popular in Sweden, it’s affordable for the people and overall does taste good. My first thought was how much the burger and ambiance of the chain resembles McDonald’s. The burger was put together well but the taste and quality of the patty could do with some improvements, but it was what I expected. Comparing this burger with the usual ones we normally battle is slightly unfair due to Max Burgers catering a different market sector. However I’m a consistent person and as patty is one of the highest factors I think about when giving out my rating I have to give this: 🍔🍔

Johannes: Max obviously targets a different market segment and comes at a comparably low price (by Swedish standards😛). The patty was quite a disappointment, but besides that the burger was pretty ok. 🍔🍔